#and god i think back to the first time i played starfield

[illuminatedmoth]

in my bathroom talking to my wall like im giving a tedtalk about how bethesda's game design has changed over the years and how its trajectory isnt looking great

starfield still blows btw

[leam1983]

Monster Factory

Started putzing around with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and what really frustrates me isn't the lack of deep RPG mechanics or even the weaker writing, but rather the character customization.

Now, I'm not a spiritual McElroy brother, I don't like to push my char-gen escapades too far, but I also like to create characters that have a life story writ large across their features. We're talking scars, imperfections, no real standard "beautiful" features - and the general sense that they belong in the sort of Dark Fantasy setting Dragon Age tries to foster, as a franchise. That means a modicum of deliberate ugliness is mandatory.

I could get that with careful slider-wrangling in previous entries, especially Dragon Age 1 and 2, but BioWare admittedly was a lot less focused on letting me create the kind of war-scarred warrior I had in mind than, say, Bethesda's offerings. Say what you will about the house Morrowind built and Skyrim sold to everyone and their mother, you can reliably build fugly dudes in everything between Oblivion and Starfield. Not so with BioWare titles. Starting with Inquisition, especially, everyone had to be airbrushed, polished and conventionally beautiful, safe for the errant scar.

And that, well... It takes me out of Thedas entirely. I'm not going to shake my fists at the airbrushed Qunari that made the Internet devolve into screaming fits - user-generated characters can pack a lot more gruffness and burr than what BioWare showcased - but I always had issues with the character designs for everyone between Morrigan (You're telling me the Witch of the Wilds manages to have a perfect complexion while spending most of her time outside of Thedas' main settlements?!) to Solas (I get it, the dude's an Elf and prospectively the last immortal Elf alive up until we learned about his true identity as the Dreadwolf, but you'd figure his struggles would've left a mark, right?) and even Varric, the poster boy for the franchise as a whole. Oh, sure, he's progressively aged up, but always in that weird sense that makes you think Thedas' dwarves actually know a thing or two about peeling and microblading...

And well, all of this to circle back to my first attempt at designing my Rook, which looks like a nice, clean, sterile nothing-burger packing a sword. Call me crazy, but I can't buy into the world-ending stakes that see us having to track down and kill two insane Elven gods let loose outside of the Fade if everyone involved looks like they just stepped out of a Maxim photoshoot! Oh, sure, there's plenty of body types, pronoun selections, cosmetic options for vitiligo sufferers - but despite it all, everyone is inescapably pretty.

As for the leading moroseness surrounding the game with us old-timers, or the sense that this isn't the BioWare I grew up with - well, yeah. Zeschuk and Watamaniuk left ages ago, so has Drew Karpyshyn; the design staff isn't the same - I could go on. The focus is different, as Veilguard is clearly an Action Game with RPG elements, as opposed to the first few games' more overt RPG leanings. Hearing a staff member at Larian Studios claim that this is the first Dragon Age entry that knows what it wants leaves me blinking bemusedly. Haven't they played the first entry in the series, or noticed how closely it sticks to the game design tropes Baldur's Gate III successfully iterated on?

The end result is I'm not offended, I'm not going to put up a screed that declares that BioWare is dead - but it's definitely changed.

[silurisanguine]

OC Questions tag game - (lisa-and-shadow question answers)

I was tagged by @lisa-and-shadow in the oc questions tag game and I'm going to answer the three given me as all 4 of my ocs!- Seren Jones, Aeryn Ryder, Zofie Orel and Kiara Black This was great to really delve into their personalities as i wrote these, i hope that comes across! Since this is going to be a long post, answers behind a cut! And I'll tag @vorchagirl @despicablediet and @bearlytolerant @staticpallour @fangbangerghoul @a-cosmic-elf @atonalginger @eridanidreams @toxiclizardwrites @therealgchu @aro-pancake with these three questions to answer, no pressure though! What is your favourite place to visit? Do you have a signature style or look? What was your favourite toy as a child?

First up Seren Jones (My Starfield, Coemancer Starborn OC)

What was your first kiss like? "Oh...fumbled, messy and embarrassing!...but kinda nice too. I was fourteen and so innocent in that regard. It was with a girl I'll call Katie, a fellow expat I'd met and grown fond of in the Akilan secondary school I ended up in after my parents and I had moved back there. I'd known from the moment i started thinkin about other kids in that way that I liked both boys and girls and finding a girl that seemed to like me too, well I jumped at it...guess my curious explorer streak came out early! It was such a classic trope, kissing her behind the school sheds during break. She basically dared me and I'd never kissed anyone, so I just sort of smushed my lips against hers as she opened her mouth and yeah...messy. Then a teacher came round the corner and discovered us and although they weren't angry I was so embarrassed. Katie I think more so as she kinda avoided me after that." Do you have a signature style of dress/favorite outfit? "Now? I guess my starborn suit. It feels like it's part of me... I dunno. When I'm reborn in a new universe, I'm already wearing it, like it's born with me. But style? I tend to go practical, what will fit under it, so sportswear or jumpsuits, anything fitted or light. As for what I like, I guess I used to enjoy wearing fitted suits and formwear in dark colours, like blues, blacks and greys, sombre tones rather than bright colors. That I leave to my hair! Think my favourite item of clothing though...was my wedding dress. That was this cream and deep dark navy blue sleeveless gown I'd found in a shop in New Homestead, but I think that had a lot to do with the way Sam looked at me when he saw me in it." Are you quick tempered? Or even-keeled? "I'd like to say even keeled most of the time, even when I'm seething inside I play it cool usually. Why I survived that gauntlet going undercover with the Crimson Fleet for Sysdef. I used my anger to play the role and I think when I do show anger it's the cold kind. I don't tend to scream or shout, unless it's the Hunter provoking me, then...well I tend to react." Next Aeryn Ryder ( My Mass Effect Andromeda pathfinder)

What was your first kiss like? "Oh god let me think...Okay, you know, I don't actually remember exactly as those days have become a blur. I can tell you though the first kiss I do remember, the one that set the bar for all future kisses. That was with Kesala when I was eighteen, a research assistant on a prothean dig I was peacekeeping. She was this petite lavender skinned asari that just made everything so interesting. She had such enthusiasm for her work that it was infectious and she brought that to the evening I spent with her at the bar. She was what...112, young for an asari but I could tell she was experienced if you know what I mean. The kiss itself was tender, slow and made my legs weak...and that's all I'm saying on the matter." Do you have a signature style of dress/favorite outfit? "My black leather jacket, I love that thing so much. I usually pair it with a simple top, and fitted pants and my go to sneakers, usually in purple shades. I like comfy and casual. Not that I don't like dressing up, I love dressing up, but I never get chance now! I'm either in armor or wanting to wear something comfy afterwards. I did get to see these gorgeous fabrics back on Aya that Jaal told me were used to make gowns for ceremonies and important parties. Maybe one day I'll get something made for myself, when we can finally celebrate." Are you quick tempered? Or even-keeled? "Feisty, that's what my brother Tristan says I'm like. I've had to temper it as Pathfinder with all the important people I deal with and SAM thank god really helps there, calming me down from doing or saying something I might regret. But there are times they know to just let me loose and let it out my system!"

Next Zofie Orel (My Deus Ex / Assassin's Creed OC)

What was your first kiss like? "Hmm. Jason, a fellow Assassin acolyte in the Coterie. We shared a birthday so we shared a kiss too after both of us getting a little drunk at our eighteenth party...He died in the Incident protecting civilians. He was a gentle soul really, I don't really think suited to the life, but he was a damn good scout and very good kisser." Do you have a signature style of dress/favorite outfit? "I only wear red, black and white clothes as it makes it easier to mix and match when travelling and I rather like the symbolism. I suppose I have different signature outfits depending on who I am at the time. As Sofia, I wear sleek, expensive clothing, usually a fitted suit. As myself when on a job I wear my custom made tac vest and armoured combat trousers and when I'm off the job, it's what ever is clean but I tend to go for more high end clothing, just in case I need to put on the Sofia persona." Are you quick tempered? Or even-keeled? "I would be lying if I said I didn't have a temper, but I've been trained to control it, hone it into a weapon. Some may call me cold for it, but I feel things strongly, I just hide it well, lest my emotions be seen as a weakness by the enemy." Lastly Kiara Black (My Thief/Dishonored OC)

What was your first kiss like? "That's a bit personal, why do you want to know?" *a few minutes pass* "Fine, you're not going to let this go are you? It was a streetgang kid when i lived in Dunwall, nothing special." Do you have a signature style of dress/favorite outfit? "Anything dark and fitted so I'm not noticed. I tend to swap between my gear - this leather and twill get up I'm wearing now and something loose after to let my skin breath." Are you quick tempered? Or even-keeled? "I...try not to be. But some people make me angry with their bigotry and arrogance. I can't do much about it though, so there is no point in getting angry, it's better to get even."

[lanaevyssmoved]

do u have any game recommendations that have character creation? besides bg3 ofc

gonna be real i wouldnt recommend bg3 for a character creation game because you can only use preset faces ...... bro but if you mean it in an oc way......

i would recommend.............

heavily modded skyrim, if you don't wanna do it yourself use wabbajack, some of the modlists on there are designed for graphics or high end systems and have very pretty characters. there's also ones not like that with rougher characters or more vanilla characters. lots of choice! do not get into the community though, this is a warning

following on from that, any elder scrolls game - morrowind is the best and one of my all time favourite games

you can follow on from that with fallout if you like the setting. i recommend fallout 1 and 2 the most as i'm not the hugest fan of bethesdas fallout but that is not a common opinion that be a hot take

heavily modded final fantasy xiv, you can fully mod on the free trial version as far as i know - be warned this is an extremely slippery slope because it has a modding community to rival skyrim and many customisation mods are paid for however there are ways around that. anyway you can get mods from here, here and here as well as the nexus

elden ring, dark souls 3 - the other dark souls but those character creations look like dogshit ass but still fun to make ocs in imo.. demon souls if you own a ps5....... i do not

pillars of eternity, tyranny, while visually quite limiting the character creators are still very neat from a roleplay pov - tyrannys has a lil "post character creation" game you get to play where you make "post game" choices and i uh, used to play that all the time for fun without intent to keep playing.....

a good follow up to that would be dragon age, all three of them but specially origins, i used to play the origins and not continue the rest of the game for fun! now be warned all of these games suck terrible dick in terms of modding because it's awkward and annoying and easily broken! i recently replayed dao and dai and so much of that time was spent troubleshooting...... joyous

have to kind of mention mass effect after? but ur kind of always making the same character..... ive always struggled with mass effect personally. maybe its the setting?

you can also look at starfield since that's got actually a pretty decent cc but i did find it quite limiting. but i've not really played it for more than an hour cuz bg3 exists so i can't say much

back to crpgs, the two pathfinder games! again limiting on the character side but roleplay side very very strong. i've not played wotr but i have mutuals who act like it is gods gift to gaming and i believe them. i really liked the first!

the outer worlds could be a good choice, i really like that games aesthetic but it's another space game and i think we're seeing a pattern that i'm just not that into those. hm. it was bethesda style gaming in space before starfield exists with the personality of fallout, kind of ?

this ones going far out there but crusader kings iii has an insane character creation and my favourite ruler ever was this old witch woman cannibal who slowly but surely turned her whole corner of the globe into a witch worshipping cannibal cult. i miss her

age of wonders 4 has a really cool cc, you can even make dragons with the dlc like Actual dragons.... i have made so many characters in there and gave them their funny little lores.. age of wonders has real cool lore and it is Completely ignored by tumblr afaik and that sucks

encased is a really cool rpg it's another sci-fi-y one.. it isn't as polished as you might expect cuz it's a very ambitious game but a small indie studio but i would say if you enjoy fallout 1 + 2 you will enjoy encased

dragons dogma! you get to make two people in this just like in bg3! i made a lil girl and her big brother and i was so fucking emotional over them that i was crying constantly even when nothing was going on. i played dragons dogma to fucking death on the ps3 and i think its interesting and rich enough to sink ur teeth into

i have to mention greedfall as the owner of the greedfall url.... greedfall is very interesting as its a double A title akin to a dragon age game.. it might make one feel a tad uncomfortable because it comes across as colonialism the rpg but it does get very interesting and it has neat as hell characters and magic and big monsters who fuck hard

wasteland 3! kinda again has the fallout type of vibe it is violent and full of dark themes and twisted themes but its also extremely comical its true black humour at times and you get to make two characters again and you can even make TWO MORE CHARACTERS so i had a bunch of custom characters.. u can get really wild in the cc as well and builds are SUPER fun....... v good game

spellforce 3!!!!! i love this game, the cc is again like another crpg one but spellforce 3 has very deep lore spanning many games .. its not typical crpg in that its also like a strategy war game too but i think it does the mixture very well and i LOVEEEEEEEE the lore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

uh i forgot to mention divinity original sin 1/2 because .. bg3 should lead you right there but uh. play them both! the first is so good in coop i feel cuz of the natural banter between the protagonists. if you don't have friend the second is very good single player just. be warned i don't think it has good endings but the ride is worth it!! and divinity lore fucks hard. i also recommend divinity dragon commander because its so much fun

can i say stardew valley? mayhaps sun haven too? if ur crazy like me you can turn these into prime oc generators. also mods

oh, monster hunter world and by extension wild hearts. monster hunter world lets you make a cat and while ur character themselves doesn't get to do much story wise i did get very obsessed with my character and wanting them fight cool monsters. wild hearts is similar though your character does feel a bit more special- be warned this game is known for running like ass on most systems, its pretty good for me but be warned all the same

TEEHEES.... KENSHI!!!!!!!!!!!! i was holding back on mentioning kenshi but i can't. you can make a whole fucked up lil squad if u want. u got weird alien races. u got a billion fucking mods. u can have ur buddies limps removed and give them robot ones. u can make an army of weirdos. bro i got so invested in my kenshi squad i was writing FANFIC. i was dreaming of them. i was unable to sleep about them. i miss them so fucking much dude!! kenshi doesnt really have a story beyond what u make it. that shit is a SANDBOX.. and i love it so much. everyone should play kenshi. its kinda like rimworld if u want a comparison. i think its Perfect. the best game to exist ever (lie) its so wonderful....... man........its also broken as shit cuz its the most ambitious game to exist ever and it was made by 1 dude so

oh if u like anime games i have to mention code vein (souls like) and god eater (monster hunter like ?) they have very good ccs and i know people super into the lore and stuff. i only played code vein and i liked it a lot honestly

uhhh i mentioned 1 mmo so i should probably mention guild wars 2, the cc is very good, the whole games end game is about fashion and looking amazing. the lore is also super duper neat! i haven't played it for a long time now but i did play it on launch and i had a blast for a few years

if you like d&d i would recommend solasta! it has a very good cc i think honestly and it feels the most like this is d&d in a video game out of every game i've ever played, and it translates the system very and faithfully (as opposed to say bg3 who changed things for game reasons). solasta is also best with friends because its so in that vibe of this is a silly lil d&d party. its much fun

lol i got the block text limit popup

kotor 1 and 2, it might be hard to get into the lore and characters if you're not into star wars but i found it pretty ok to as not a huge star wars fan. i also think they deserve to be played despite that as well because they are fantastic rpgs and some of the best bioware ever made

vampire the masquerade bloodlines!!! i am not a vampire fan really, a small one, but this game captivated me.... very easy to get into making a character i feel and ur given enough to make characters that align different ways easily. the combat did not age well..... but the story and roleplay absolutely did

ok.. im gonna stop here.. but i will say give games like icewind dale and arcanum a chance.. look at old as hell crpgs and try them. this includes bg1+2 which i still need to play myself but will be soon! they are classics because their stories are fantastic, and shouldn't be missed out on!!!!!

[kibbits]

Time to share some Starry lore because I’ve got a cute scene in mind. I love to vocal stim, sounds, phrases, but particularly songs. I’ll hear a song that feels just right and I’ll sit and chew it for hours til my throat’s sore. Currently favorite is The Valentine in Starfield (Is it still a sea shanty if it’s in space?). The reason I bring this fun fact up is because I can just see myself sitting for hours stimming with boys over new songs. Especially if it’s any new pieces for the theater. While the scripts and lyrics are predesigned by Fazbear, there’s something unquestionably their’s in performance that make it worth repeating. Worth remembering. Humming through daily tasks. Parroting their tone, their voice. Another sign of their existence that’s more then the capacity to destroy, then just simple property… They do end up being slightly upset when the Glamrocks try to introduce their songs to stimming sessions. (Sun/Moon: “That’s my human bonding time :(“ Monty: “Get cooler song selections then Sock and Buskin.” Freddy: “Pls do not misuse google search privileges to make insults.”)

- ✨Starry✨

Starry, hi!!! <33

!!!! HELL yes I echo songs a lot too!!!!

Unfortunately often 1-3 lines on repeat fgklgjkldfjg currently it's Villainous Thing, but I keep mixing "Let me see those smoky eyes" and "Let's remove those pretty clothes" and I end up singing "Oh dear, let's remove those smoky eyes" which. not the same fgkldjl

STARRY?! HELLO?! YOU REALLY GOT ME TEARING UP OVER THAT DESCRIPTION AAAA?!?! Also ABSOLUTELY -- for both the stimming, and making the songs their own.

God I'm imagining it so hard.

Eyndr suggested I draw a 'Y/N repairing the coat' last magma, and I haven't posted it cause I never got done, but yknow what? You get a WIP sketch fgkldgj Imagine they're singing

(Goose by Eyndr! Sun is stimming with a ribbon, like I do, except that I like to wrap it around the pads of my fingers, but he doesn't have those, so he has the bad habit of letting it run between his finger casings. Also I wanted a domestic vibe for this and also thought it'd be hilarious to have 'fanservice' with Sun being shirtless. Also, a more masculine Y/N! First beard I've drawn I think???)

One of the three absentmindedly starts a song and the others join in almost immediately. Unless it's a headache day, the backstage is never silent between those three, there's always a bit of humming or singing or even just echolalia.

Which. Mood. I always immediately and absentmindedly want to join in on sounds or singing in vc -- which. being in vc at all, and talking?? is a new development for me fgjdgkl but my god it's nice to be vibing and singing with a friend while doodling -- shout out to my bestie @eyndr ! I love hanging out for games or project days so much aa One day discord and spotify won't make us sing rounds/canons fghdj

ALSO HELLO YES SPACE SHANTIES?!?!!? TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS LET'S GO I'M LEAVING RN TO GO LISTEN BRB

Ough that's nice!!! I loved it! ; w ; Ehehe, I tend to have work songs/sea shanties days where that's all I listen to, so I getcha and good choice! > :3 Haven't played that game, but I do play No Man's Sky and I wish there was random space shanty singers to find waugh!

Also now I'm totally imagining a Faz Space Opera yeeesss 👀👀👀

Back to BaL! Sometimes, for fun, all 3 purposefully mess with the cadence or pitch, either to make each other laugh or just to get creative or because it sounds nice, and they end up liking something and it's like "!!!!"

When they sing that version later, it feels like theirs -- like it's those moments spent together. Proof of their existence and how it affects the world around them positively. Reminders that they're loved, and they love (in a cosmic kind of way, but also it's a self insert so fuck it we BaLl (aaaay finally used the joke @lavenoon fgjdfklgjld).

Also yeee I can see them being really, ACTUALLY insulted when one of the animatronics, who doesn't know because those little sing-stimming sessions are private with Y/N, jokes about how those songs are lame and they should be singing some of theirs instead because they're catchier. Oof

Which, just now, made me realize that BaL Sun's anger runs cold, so he just goes totally silent, straightens up and get that intense stare. Maybe Moon's even the one who talks through the speaker to deflect and does that overly-sweet anger of like "Catchy, huh? Hopefully we don't catch those inflated egos of yours -- there's barely enough space for all of us and your big heads as it is! We'll come back later~!" to excuse themselves (and then prank them to hell and back of course! But there's no proof : )) ) (ALSO OH MY GOD SOCK AND BUSKIN THAT'S FUCKING GOLD. THAT'S SO CANON NOW AND THE BOYS THINK IT'S HILARIOUS)

Back to the singing, I think that another thing that they do especially well is that they can sing at the same time, so even for solos they can add back vocals to each other, or play around with the pitch since they do-and-don't share a processor and can adapt in microseconds -- wait actually they can definitely sing rounds, too!!

Oh my god now I'm imagining them singing rounds with vastly different moods at the same time, perfectly calibrated so that both of them come out loud and clear and also enhance each other's -- lining up or losing one of their voices at just the right moment to be chilling. It's like you're getting the song and the reprise but both at once

Thanks for the ask Starry!!! Always excited to see you in my inbox <33 And I'm going to be rotating this in my mind for a WHILE fkljdgjkld

[lisa-and-shadow]

My thoughts on Starfield:

First of all, I do really enjoy the game for all of its flaws. Just want to get that out of the way first.

It is, from toe to tip, a Bethesda game. For better or worse. It definitely has a very Fallout-esque flavor. As a big fan of Obsidian's The Outer Worlds, I can't help but compare the two and they are similar in a lot of ways. We are definitely having cowboy times in space doodoo do doo. That's not a bad thing though. I think it's easy to see influences from all sorts of sci-fi sources throughout the game. We've got space miners on asteroids, rag-tag space pirates, slick corpos, uptight military leaders, and the aforementioned independent minded space cowboys. Pick a trope from a popular title and it's in there. We've even got space drugs made from fish!

Technical downsides? Menu upon menus within loadscreens within menus. It's fairly quick, but it just takes you out of the action. So you wanna fly to another planet? Sit in the pilot's seat. Tiny unskippable scene of you sitting down. Menu to take off pops up. Cinematic cut scene of you taking off plays. Now you're in orbit. You might have a random encounter in orbit, peaceful or hostile. (Some really fun ones.) Open your main menu. Go to the star map. Find the star system you want to travel to and select it. Click Jump. Cutscene of your ship doing a FTL jump to that system. Load screen. Now you're in orbit in the new system. Open that menu back up to scan the planet and find a landing site. Etc etc.

ORRRRR you can pick a planet you've already been to, or from your quest log, and just fast travel there from the main menu and never fly in space at all. ??? Aside from kinda defeating the point, you have skill points to level up how much cargo your ship can carry that requires you to make FTL jumps. And BY GOD will you need cargo space.

The game does not explain things well. I guess Todd was tired of hearing about how Skyrim was too "hand holdy" because this game doesn't tell you shit. Once I played for a while I figured things out or I just looked them up online. I also watched a couple of Gameranx videos before I started playing. (I 💜Jake Baldino and Falcon.) That helped tremendously.

Speaking of not telling you things... there are NO city maps. The cities are huge with lots of buildings and shops you can explore and people you can interact with. Good luck memorizing them, bitch. (You'll get used to them eventually, honestly. But I'd kill for a map.) Planets have a surface map but it will only show you a very condensed local area with specific landmarks highlighted on a blank blue background.

There's a lot of really funny stuff in the game that has made me LOL and I want to shout out the writers. Just kooky jokes and silly encounters. Had a pilot hail me to make a Uranus joke. Dead. Had another ship invite on board to party. Very fun.

I personally have not encountered any major bugs to speak of. I thought I did on my first mission but I was in the wrong place bc the game didn't tell me where to go bc fuck maps. I did lose some weapons bc of bugged weapon racks on a ship I got but they weren't anything special. I haven't seen any floating mammoths or anything.

The leveling system is not my favorite. There are a ton of things to potentially put points into from pistol damage to carry weight to how well your ship steers. When you put a point into a trait it unlocks a "challenge". For example, I put a point in security, so until I unlock 5 locks I don't get the bonus from that point. Then once you complete the challenge, the bonus is activated and the next level of that perk is available to unlock. The problem is for some of the combat perks, you're going to be making pistol kills (or whatever) that aren't counting towards your perk bc you don't have a point to unlock the next level. Or maybe you forgot to go into that menu 30 minutes ago, or didn't realize that perk was done. Bethesda said they were trying to keep players from getting too OP and having too many perk points but damn. It sucks bc base building is also limited by perks.

Base building! Ok so this is a mash-up of Fallout 4 and No Man's Sky sort of... kind of. Apparently your main objective is to place bases on planets to harvest valuable resources like Helium-3. Considering that I already have more companions than I do places to put them, I was looking for a place to assign these folks so they'd stop pestering me on my dang ship. You can build bases right from the get go, but certain things are blocked off until you have a couple of perks unlocked. I always need more perk points. Ugh.

There are 4 companions you can romance. I immediately started flirting with the cowboy single dad. He looked boring before the game came out, but I'm 100% a sucker. He has a southern accent and a raspy voice and calls his daughter "gumdrop". He's like a 15% himbo. One of his voice lines after I looted a corpse was, "To the victor go the spoils... Did I say that right?" Shut your mouth and kiss me. AND! His baby mama is NOT dead. I won't spoil it, but it is refreshing as fuck!!

Yes, I did unlock the Adoring Fan from Oblivion and add him to my crew. How could I not?? He's everything you could possibly imagine and more. 11/10

Heller 💜

I'm a ways into the main story but these are my take aways without any real spoilers. It's fun. It really is. I'm a loot gremlin and Beth outdid themselves with the lootables on this one. So yeah. I like it. It's pretty much what I expected.

[disasterdrvid]

What are your top 10 video games?

Thank u @shift-shaping for the tag!

I'm tagging @localfruit @star--nymph @wardenrainwall @full---ofstarlight @perfectblve @sneklesbian @magic-space-games @notebooks-and-laptops and anyone else who wants/I may have forgot to tag <3

These aren't in any particular order tbh

Dragon Age: Origins

Genuinely this game has some of the best writing in the series and really wants players invested in their characters as character origins intersect with the main plot. Inquisition was my first DA game but Origins rewired my brain chemistry.

2. Pokemon Soul Silver

Not my first Pokemon game nor my most recent but it was the one that came at a pivotal moment in my life. Many weeks of coming home from middle school and ignoring my homework to run around in the game.

3. Stardew Valley

Absolute classic and one I consistently go back to. Sometimes I need to turn off my brain and yearn for the mines.

4. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I was never a Zelda person growing up, but I picked up BotW this year in time to play TotK. Oh my god, this game made me cry multiple times with it's lovingly-crafted story. I love the act of exploration in this game and it's encouragement to find multiple solutions to the same problem. Truly one of the best games of the last decade.

5. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

This game is such a mess and I love her dearly for it. It's character creation and leveling system is one of my favorite in any game and I'm very glad traces of it exist in Starfield (I'm not playing but my brother is and there's a lot of Oblivion love in it).

6. Cult of the Lamb

A very fun gameplay loop and roguelike combat make this super fun to replay. I don't come here for in-depth story (I've compared it to Happy Tree Friends in that regard), but I love the cult creation and maintenance.

7. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Underrated game of all time. It shows it age and there's elements of the story that don't work great but dear god I love it and I'm forever sad no one plays it. Lots of Irish folk inspiration, which I think would draw more people if they knew that was there.

8. Baldur's Gate 3

For context, I haven't actually been able to play but I've been consuming a lot of content for it so I know its up my alley. (My PC would explode bc I don't have the specs and it's not coming to Xbox for a bit 😭) But I love the characters and the DnD aspect so much.

9. Mass Effect

I'm not huge on shooters but the first Mass Effect really drew me in with its story. Not a perfect game by any stretch. However, it still feels fresh and new even now.

10. Tetris

Finally, original Tetris. Love me some shapes. First game I ever played because my mom had an old school Gameboy from before I was born that she handed down to me as a kid. Sadly can't play it on the original hardware (I still have it and it still runs!) because the screen is dogshit and I can't see, but luckily there's more places to play it now.

[yunwooz]

asjdfhlasfhsadjfh back when i sent you that previous message, i, too, was excited for lotf!! i wanted to watch dist2 play it before i decide to get it because it was a lot of money and i was unsure 😭 and now i'm glad i didn't SDFHLASDJFHA the game looks cool, dgmw!! but the combat... i'm not sure if it's exactly for me sajfdalsdjf dist himself mentioned that it feels unpolished :( i wonder how you ended up liking it!! for me LoP is the goty though 🧡 the world and the combat is so good. it's very linear and quite simple but i feel like that's its charm!!

i have heard of starfield!! in... a lot of bad contexts sajdfasjkdfh i haven't seen it or played it myself though so i can't form my own opinion!! but if you're enjoying it that's the main thing 🧡

i also bought assassins creed mirage!! it looked cool and very well polished so i got the launch edition with a steelbook hehe, it cost a lot of money but guess what..... i can't play it 🤣 i'm a little prone to motion sickness and it hasn't happened in a looong time but playing mirage triggered it SO heavily i was nauseated for 3 whole hours even after turning the game off 😭 it's such a shame because the game looks genuinely good... i'm hoping ubisoft will release an update that will add the option to turn some settings off because a lot of ppl have been crying about it but so far it's just wishful thinking :( so i've started replaying AC origins instead sadfaskjfhasdhf the best one in the franchise!!! hehe just a small rant 🧡🧡

hope you've been great bestie 🧡

from @tixti 🧡

ahhh i see!! for me i really love the combat and the difficulty, i know lots of the complaints are about the difficulty balance but as someone who has played tens of games that are Unfair and very punishing, i enjoy it lots <3 but im gonna wait to buy it still bc i dont think it's a full price buy for me 😳

tbh the people who dislike starfield are just really loud… SDFLKJKDL honest to god i've been playing on desktop and haven't had one problem at all, even with bugs, like there's a few buggy quests but game stuff i haven't experienced any issues. bethesda games kinda have that sort of charm to them tho!

NOOOOO you can't play it? that's so upsetting wtf 😭 honestly it's more shocking that they don't have an option for motion blur bc that's like seriously standard in games now like?? for ubisoft esp to not have an option… come on. that's so disappointing 😭😭😭 it's fun that you enjoy assassins creed tho it's one of my fave franchises the first one was one of the first games i ever played!!!

i've been good tho hehe playing lots of my gachas endlessly kkk

[fostersffff]

Spinning off this response into a separate post because the previous one was already too gatdamn long but yeah, raytracing is a meme. Like, it's impressive on a technical level to be able to realistically simulate light, but for the last 20ish years game devs have (in a general sense) gotten really good at faking lighting. Outside of freaks (affectionate) like Digital Foundry, I don't think I've ever heard people gripe about unrealistic lighting in video games.

The nicest thing about the push for raytracing as far as I'm concerned is that when games have the ability to turn it off (or don't have it at all), the PS5 and Series X shine as "better performance boxes". They can't brute force AAA nightmares from poor performance, or optimize shovelware like Gollum or King Kong, but I think the only PS5 game I've played that has had noticable issues with performance is Stranger of Paradise, because Square-Enix still has some of that Size Queen brainrot from the XIV 1.0 days.

Besides that, there have been scant few "next gen" games.

Sony's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the first For Real Tentpole Sony has published for the PS5 that is exclusive to the PS5: Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok were on PS4, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Returnal aren't console-movers.

Circling back to Square-Enix, they have been making an effort to push next-gen, but unfortunately their PS5 exclusives to date have been FF7 Remake Intergrade (DLC), Final Fantasy XVI (fine), and Forspoken (lmao).

Microsoft has put out one (1) game: Halo Infinite, which as far as I can tell died on impact (and also was available on the Xbox One). Even if you want to count Redfall (lmao), Hi-Fi Rush, and Starfield- which I don't, because they were all in active development well before Bethesda was acquired- all of Microsoft's exclusives are also on PC, which inherently removes some of the awe of "CHECK OUT THESE NEW CONSOLES!!!"

The situation is unlikely to improve very much any time soon; the only Microsoft exclusive with an actual release date is Obsidian's Avowed, and dollars to doughnuts, and the only non-live-service game I'm aware of from Sony is Insomniac's Wolverine, which is still also not dated.

My earnest hope is that Nintendo announces a Switch successor that is roughly as strong as a PS4 Pro/Xbone X (or stronger, but there are limits to plausibility), and that between that and how strong mobile phones are these days developers will just start targeting those platforms as their "primary" benchmark. Then, anything multiplat released on PS5/Series X can just take advantage of the extra power to run and look a little nicer, while Sony and Microsoft can focus on making exclusives that highlight Why You Should Buy Their Consoles.

[galaxyofhair]

I think something I am tired of seeing is rants about how gaming is rUiNeD and there's no variety or creativity in (AAA) gaming.

It's not that this premise is necessarily wrong, but every argument I see tends to root itself in this idea that we had it better during the 7th console generation and that it was this golden age of gaming and creativity---But like, no... It wasn't---at least, not as golden as you remember.

I still remember watching Zero Punctuation in 2009 and hearing pretty much the same complaint from Yahtzee that every Youtuber and their streaming dog has today: Classic games (from my childhood) good, new games that are sepia and samey bad.

Again, it's not that this premise is necessarily wrong: Are AAA devs doing some shady, shitty stuff and churning out crappy clones of COD every year? Yeah, absolutely.

But this was also true back then (2008~2013): How many of the 360's titles were dreary and so washed out they were basically grayscale? How many of those games had QTEs, or crowbarred in moral choice systems that didn't make sense or didn't matter?

Also there was Peter Molyneux, gamings biggest grifter from that era who literally could not stop lying to save his f*cking life. I'm mad just thinking about it.

Like, you can choose to cherrypick the great stuff like Mass Effect, Fallout, Skyrim, Super Mario, Borderlands etc---but you're leaving out the dawn of cheap, money pit DLC, you're leaving out the first 7 billion COD games, and Battlefield, and Medal of Honor trying to climb out of the grave, and those awful kinect games, and Fable 3 shitting the bed, carpet, and stairs---Etc, etc, etc, ETC

Stop it, get some help.

There's plenty of modern greats in every, single, category---and the best part is that it's actually really hard to distinguish what's an "old" game and whats new because shit is constantly updating.

IDK I'm not taking the time to sit here and name every example, but what other time in gaming could I go from playing Dragon Quest Builders to a complete, from the ground up remake of System Shock, to Deep Rock Galactic, to TOTK, to Starfield?

There's always going to be something bad that's also new---and it makes it easy to look back and not see how things were also bad back then. This is just a part of growing up, and I'm tired of it. All of this nostalgia fueled ranting I see on Youtube, TikTok, Txitter---it tends to secretly hold hands with the "Reject modernity, return to monke" crowd.

And frankly, on the subject of Starfield---quit it, I'm trying to enjoy this fucking game and everyone's losing their fucking religion over it, chill out. They spent 5 years making a ridiculously large game and it's got Bethesda brand bugs, what else is new. You want tradition? Bethesda still makes buggy games as the gods would have it, there---return to Monke motherfucker.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #600

Top 100 Videogames Revisited

Here we are with a Very Special Top Ten list. I’ve been doing this stupid time-wasting exercise for six hundred flippin’ weeks now. Six hundred! Why?! Why?! God knows. Yet here we are.

It’s getting increasingly hard to find suitably epic topics to discuss when these mega-anniversaries roll around, which is probably why I’ve returned to a well I last dredged way back in 2019. Doing a Top 100 instead of a Top Ten is something of An Undertaking, requiring as it does my remembering quite a lot of things that exist – in this case, videogames. Trying to properly rank them is next to impossible, so I tend to just “rate” them against whatever’s sat next to them. This means I tend to look over the whole list and say “Woah, why’s Mass Effect so low?” – but then, it’s that low because I’m also thinking “well, I can’t really put it higher than Unpacking, and that’s not higher than Perfect Dark, which is a little bit lower than Command and Conquer…” and so on. On the other hand, listing a hundred of the damn things gives me an excuse to not have to write some pithy explanation for all of them. So there’s that.

And it’s TOPICAL isn’t it?! Because a Very Big Videogame is coming out this week. Starfield is definitely the biggest Xbox release of the year, and one of the biggest games of the year full stop; it’s also the first new game in ages that I’ve been really, really excited about (the last one was probably Cyberpunk). But even aside from Starfield, 2023 has been quite the year for gaming in general; up there with 2007 and 1998 probably. Of course, me being me, I’ve not played any of the “big” games; for me it’s only really about Starfield. I’ve barely played Breath of the Wild, so I don’t see the point forking over a small fortune to play Tears of the Kingdom, even though I know it’ll be amazing; I didn’t bother with Baldur’s Gate 3 yet because I knew I’d be playing another massive RPG shortly so what’s the point (also I’d be waiting for the Xbox version regardless); and I don’t have a PlayStation, so even if I wanted to I wouldn’t be able to play Spider-Man 2 But Not That Spider-Man 2 This One’s Just a Videogame it’s Got Nothing to do With the Film You Know the One With the Whole Power of the Sun in the Palm of my Hand Thing.

Anyway, the gist is, despite me just doing this because I thought it’d be fun and relatively easy, it’s also turned out to be quite a good time to revisit my favourite games. Has much changed since I last did this nearly four years ago? Stuff’s come out that’s pretty high in the list – Unpacking, Vampire Survivor. Or I might have played a game more, or more recently (GoldenEye and Quake being higher than in 2019 is due to how well their recent re-releases have held up). Another change I decided to make is recognising remasters or collections; this was really just an excuse to not have, say, C&C and Red Alert both taking up a spot each, or working out how to rank all the Halos or Mass Effects. But also I think the collected editions of those franchises do offer something a bit new, be it updated graphics and options, or just the way The Master Chief Collection allows you to remix and replay the games to your heart’s content. I’ve also decided to put 2019’s placement next to the titles, to see how things have dropped or climbed. I made a (potentially spurious) decision to use collections like Mass Effect to represent the highest-ranking entry last time round – so obviously the Legendary Edition collection wasn’t out in 2019, but the “previous ranking” refers to Mass Effect 2, the most popular part of that collection. Hopefully that makes sense. There are a couple of games where the new entry has entirely knocked the old entry off the charts – Forza for instance, where each new edition is more-or-less an iterative improvement; in these cases I was tempted to put the prior entry’s ranking against it, but decided that was a bit daft.

Finally a big difference is my acknowledging that, whilst it’s not a narrative-based FPS or a dense RPG, I do love Civilization more than almost anything. I think back to how scandalised I used to be at PC Gamer consistently ranking Civ II as the best game of all time, over the likes of Duke, Quake, or even my beloved (and already getting-on-a-bit) Monkey Island games. And yet I think in many ways they were proven right.

So there we are; not much else to it. Please enjoy this spurious ranking and try not get your knickers in a twist. How would things stand if I’d waited till the year was over before revisiting? I guess we’ll never know. Or at least not till my 800th list.

The Secret of Monkey Island (Lucasfilm Games, 1990) 1 NM

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (LucasArts, 1991) 2 NM

Sid Meier's Civilization VI (Firaxis Games, 2017) 5 U

Deus Ex (Ion Storm, 2000) 4 NM

Half-Life 2 (Valve, 2004) 3 D

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (BioWare, 2003) 6 NM

Stardew Valley (ConcernedApe, 2016) NE

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo, 2017) 21 U

Fable II (Lionhead, 2008) 10 U

Halo: The Master Chief Collection (343 Industries after Bungie, 2014) 7 D

Wii Sports (Nintendo, 2006) 23 UP

Lemmings 2: The Tribes (DMA Design, 1993) 8 D

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo, 2020) NE

Medieval II: Total War (Creative Assembly, 2006) 16 U

GoldenEye 007 (Rare, 1997) 34 U

Quake (id Software, 1996) 45 U

Command and Conquer Remastered Collection (Petroglyph Games/Lemon Sky Studios, after Westwood Studios, 2020) 12 D

Perfect Dark (Rare, 2000) NM

Unpacking (Witch Beam 2021) NE

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (BioWare, 2021) 22 U

Slay the Spire (Mega Crit, 2019) NE

Lego Marvel Super Heroes (TT Games, 2013) 11 D

Crackdown (Realtime Worlds, 2007) 9 D

Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (LucasArts, 1997) 13 D

Portal (Valve, 2007) 17 D

Grim Fandango (LucasArts, 1998) 42 U

Drop7 (Area/Code Entertainment, 2009) 31 U

Sam & Max Hit the Road (LucasArts, 1993) 15 D

Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo, 2007) 24 D

Flashback (Delphin Software, 1992) 25 D

Peggle 2 (PopCap Games, 2013) 43 U

Sensible World of Soccer (Sensible Software, 1994) 19 D

Half-Life (Valve, 1998) 14 D

Doom (id Software, 1993) 35 U

Tetris (Alexey Pajitnov, 1986) NE

Quake II (id Software, 1997) 45 U

Pentiment (Obsidian Entertainment, 2022) NE

Return to Monkey Island (Terrible Toybox, 2022) NE

Vampire Survivors (Luca Galante, 2022) NE

Portal 2 (Valve, 2011) NE

Duke Nukem 3D (3D Realms, 1996) 20 D

Minecraft (Mojang Studios, 2011) 63 U

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo, 2017) NE

BioShock (2K Boston, 2007) 30 D

Overcooked 2 (Team17/Ghost Town Games, 2018) NE

Quake III Arena (id Software, 1999) 33 D

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (Ninja Theory, 2017) 86 U

Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games, 2021) NE

Gears Tactics (Splash Damage/The Coalition, 2020) NE

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (TT Games, 2022) NE

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios, 2011) 26 D

The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt Red, 2015) NE

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Studios, 2019) NE

Switch Sports (Nintendo, 2022) NE

Project Gotham Racing (Bizarre Creations, 2001) 65 U

Halo Infinite (343 Industries, 2021) NE

Age of Empires II (Ensemble Studios, 1999) 37 D

Worms World Party (Team17, 2001) NM

Doom (id Software, 2016) 55 D

Lumines: Puzzle Fusion (Q Entertainment, 2004) NE

Marvel Snap (Second Dinner, 2022) NE

RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (Chris Sawyer, 2002) 32 D

Another World (Delphine Software, 1991) 52 D

The Settlers II (Blue Byte Software, 1996) NE

Blade Runner (Westwood Studios, 1997) 41 D

Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios, 2011) NE

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Nintendo, 2002) 60 D

Viva Pinata (Rare, 2006) 47 D

Townscaper (Oskar Stålberg, 2021) NE

Syndicate (Bullfrog Productions, 1993) 40 D

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Nintendo, 2003) NE

Cannon Fodder (Sensible Software, 1993) 49 D

Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red, 2022) NE

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Technical Institute, 1992) 53 D

Banjo Kazooie (Rare, 1998) 50 D

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (LucasArts, 1992) 64 D

Crazy Taxi (Hitmaker, 1999) NE

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo, 1998) 77 D

Superhot (Superhot Team, 2016) 44 D

Super Skidmarks (Acid Software, 1995) 62 D

James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod (Vectordean, 1991) 39 D

Super Mario 64 (Nintendo, 1996) 76 D

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (Ubisoft Milan/Ubisoft Paris, 2017) NE

Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap Games, 2009) 36 D

Full Throttle (LucasArts, 1995) NE

Braid (Number None, 2008) 56 D

Age of Empires IV (Relic Entertainment/World’s Edge, 2021) NE

Planet Coaster (Frontier Developments, 2016) NE

Gears 5 (The Coalition, 2019) NE

Pikmin 3 (Nintendo, 2013) NE

Max Payne (Remedy Entertainment, 2001) NE

Counter-Strike (Valve, 2000) NE

Jaguar XJ220 (Core Design, 1992) 80 D

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Neversoft, 2000) 83 D

Thimbleweed Park (Terrible Toybox, 2017) 73 D

Star Wars: Dark Forces (LucasArts, 1995) NE

Beneath a Steel Sky (Revolution Software, 1994) NE

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Tribute Games, 2022) NE

Two Point Hospital (Two Point Studios, 2018) 72 D

Parasol Stars (Taito, 1991) NE

[volumehypeplay]

What I'm HYPED for

Already, it's somehow February 1st. The older I get the more I believe time is a construct with how quickly months, weeks and days go by. 2023 is full of things I'm looking forward too (and many things I'm not yet aware of) so I thought, why not give you guys a little look at the games, movies and tv shows I can't wait for in 2023.

↓

Diablo IV

Probably my favorite series in gaming, is back once again and with being in the midst of reading 'The Sin War' seeing both Lilith and Inarius being the titular villains in this sequel has me extremely hyped. I have high hopes for the story, but seeing the return to the dark and macabre style, some fantastic visuals, the additions of verticality and a refined skill system lines up Diablo IV as potentially the best in the series.

↓

Stalker 2

I still remember making a PC just to be able to run Stalker, back in like 2004; being in awe of the atmosphere the game could muster. Now with Stalker 2 finally on the horizon I really hope the team manage to capture that dread and fear of walking through the ZONE and throw some awesome creature design at us.

↓

Starfield

Sometime 2 years ago I stumbled upon No Man Sky using gamepass and actually found it so much more fun than I expected. Seeing Bethesda basically put their own RPG-heavy spin on that idea has me excited. Although I was never a fan of Skyrim its now 10+ years since that game and if they can blend a great story with some fantastic survival / world building mechanics they've got me.

↓

Nightingale

Any game that gives me an excuse to be able to play with my best friend is a great game in my eyes and Nightingale looks like a fantastic spin on survival games. The crutch of this one is being able to realm walk between worlds, which hopefully gives us a ton of diversity; from building your base to the weapons and monsters that are their to ruin our day.

I think it's meant to be out in the first-half of 2023, in Early Access anyway so this is one i'll be keeping my fingers crossed for.

↓

The Invincible

I don't know much about this one, but The Invincible looks to be in the same vain as the fantastic Firewatch. It's an alternative-scifi with you playing a Russian astrobiologist thats stuck on a planet and has to get out. Story heavy games never had me very interested as a teen, but these last few years I've found some fantastic tales spun by the likes of Prey, Dishonored, God of War etc. and I have a feeling The Invincible is going to be another one of those games.

↓

Nine Sols

This is actually the only game I have ever backed and I don't regret a penny. Imagine Sekiro, but 2D, hand drawn and a rogue like - that's exactly what Nine Sols is. You play Yi, who has to take down the Nine Sols in a asian influences cyberpunk world.

Having played the demo (and some beta) Nine Sols is shaping up incredibly; the combat is looking to be outstanding for a game of this type and I hope the guys deliver on everything I've seen so far.

↓

The Ranchers

This is one of those unicorn games that apparently and hopefully will be able to do it all. Much like Raft, Grounded or Len's Island this is sort of a farming-simulator / survival game... but multiplayer. From what we've seen from the dev's in early trailers this could potentially be fantastic, with so much detail being on show. I would normally be hesitant with a game that trying to do so much, but having found a love in these more relaxed games of late I really am rooting for The Ranchers.

↓

The Finals

The only straight up FPS on my list is The Finals by the dev's behind the Battlefield series. This looks nuts. A modern, highly-destructive team FPS where you can literally mash up everything, with some incredible physics defying fights. I've missed a great shooter in the vain of something like a Quake / COD mash up and I think this might be it.

↓

Banishers: Ghost of New Eden

Ghosts. Ghost hunters. Co-op. That's all you need to know. Or just read my other write up on this here.

↓

The Killer

The undisputed KING of macabre, serial killers stories David Finicher is back and this time he's bringing Michael Fassbender for the ride. Based on an obscure French comic book, we see Fassbender play the titular Killer, whose conscience comes into play the longer he is away from his last kill. Yup, that's enough for me. I'm in.

↓

The Flash

This movie is finally coming... who'd believe it after it initially meaning to be realesed in 2018. With Miller spending a good part of 2022 doing his best portrayal of Eobard Thawne; the rumours surrounding Flash are that it's the best DC movie since The Dark Knight. I'm not one for that kind of hype, but the ground work is there. Miller (although a mad man) is clearly a fantastic actor, Keaton is back as Batman and we have Supergirl entering the fray. This could be the best CBM of the year if it lands right, and I think it will.

↓

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

It's another MI film... whats not to look forward too? Cruise has been trying to kill himself for entertainment for a good 20 years and I don't think Dead Reckoning is going to buck the trend. Fully expect this to be awesome.

↓

Ferrari

After Bale and Damon put on such a masterclass with Ford v Ferrari, there's a lot to live up to for any car-related movie. Yet Ferrari directed by the great Michael Mann, led by Adam Driver has every chance of shaping up deliciously. I love Driver's ability to channel this suave-rage with his characters, something I think will tie nicely into his portrayal of Enzo.

↓

Killers of the Flower Moon

It's been a while since a film starring DiCaprio had me excited - so a movie about the Osage Murders led by the afromentioned DiCaprio directed by Martin Scorcese could not have come at a better time. Im a sucker for anything with the words serial-killr so I'll be there day one hoping for another masterclass by this duo.

↓

Air Jordan

Affleck is finally back. It's been years since this man has directed a movie but now he's back with his buddy Matt Damon, telling the story of a Nike salesman trying to capture Michael Jordan for the sports juggernaut.

Say less.

↓

Argylle

Directed by Mathew Vaughn (of X-Men First Class and Kingsman fame) is a spy movie, sporting Henry Cavill with quite literally the most millitant hair cut known to man. Steve Zahn would be proud.

P.S. theres nothing else out about this movie but thats more than enough for me to be excited.

↓

True Detective: Night Country

This show is a bit of an oddball. The first season is seen as a classic, the second a huge step back and the third a slow return to form; so can this new season starring Jodie Foster finally rekindle the magic that was season one? It has just about everything going for it, especially the setting; Alaska, during the Winter - a perfect brew for death and mystery. This is one I'll be crossing my fingers for.

↓

Shogun

A series set in 17th Century Japan, based on the legendary book, led by Hiroyuki Sanada? Oooh you crazy bastard I'M IN. I'm a sucker for stories like this and knowing the ever awesome KANEDA is leading this story of samurai, deception and survival it feels like it was handmade for me - and you can bet I'll be there day one.

↓

Three Body Problem

The Three Body Problem, might just be the sleeper hit of 2023 if the men behind GoT get this story right. Having read (2 of 3 books) in the series, this is quite possibly the most wild sci-fi story I have ever red. Set in China, during the 1970s (and onwards) the way this story takes such a simply concept about alien contact and flips it on a dime is incredible. Really hope this does well.

↓

···

GIF by loveyazy

Secret Invasion

I can't believe I'm actually excited for something Marvel, but this espionage thriller led by Samuel L Jackson is it. I have loved the more serious takes Marvel have attempted (The Winter Soldier) and this looks like a straight continuation in vibe and style. Adding Ben Mendehlson, Olvia Colman and more to the cast (with it being a mini-series as well) I fully believe this will be the best thing Marvel does the whole of 2023.

[imaginethebeautifulworld]

spain and snapdragons for the flower prompt pretty please?

[Hello, Lovely! Wanted to thank you for your patience, and give you fair warning that this piece ended up longer than anticipated. Hope you enjoy~]

Snapdragons: Deception

It was hardly a secret that Antonio possessed a wicked temper.

But he was so very, very skilled at hiding his anger that any reminder of its existence always took you by surprise.

It only revealed itself in rare moments, but never for you, never at you.

He scared you in those moments, the docile, carefree visage parting to reveal someone so callous and cruel-

He regretted each and every time you were exposed to even an nth of his rage, his shoulders collapsing after the sudden, sharp tension.

He would appease you with a placating smile and a soft, sweet, solemn apology pressed to your skin.

It was rare for him to ever allow himself to show his anger, always trying to be patient, always waiting for clarification before ever letting his control slip in the slightest.

So now, seeing the small, scarcely concealed flicker of rage-

Neither of you were particularly fond of your current houseguests, Toni's carefully crafted calm cracking under the constant battle to conceal his simmering fury.

You caught only wisps of it, sensing a sharpness to his words, a stinging hint of venom in each seemingly fond laugh. With a little more focus, you noticed the furrows forming between his brows when the others were looking elsewhere, the deepening scowl revealing itself with each insensitive word they spoke.

At one point, you were certain you had seen a concerning flash of his teeth, every centimeter of his posture revealing a predator preparing to strike.

Swiftly, you grabbed his hand beneath the table, wary of how his other was bending the heirloom cutlery. He was trembling in your grasp, your thumb tracing firm, steady circles in an effort to calm him.

For a moment, the full force of his fury was directed towards you, familiar idocrase irises narrowed to slits.

Your heart fluttered in trepidation, but knowing he would never hurt you, you summoned the courage to squeeze his hand yet again, casting a pointed look in the direction of your guests (loathe as you were to think of them as such), a frown of your own contorting your features.

His eyes flickered in the direction you had indicated, his tension and his dark aura rising once more as he turned his attention back towards you, no longer making an effort to mask his ire.

There was an exchange of expressions, a whole conversation shared without a single sound. You offered a firm, solitary shake of your head, trying to summon as disproving a glare as you could muster, one which faded away quickly into a silent, desperate plea.

A familiar flicker of surprise and a smattering of apologetic fondness revealed itself in a minute relaxation of the tension around his eyes.

He shot a final frown- more of a ferocious sneer- towards your dining companions, all of whom remained oblivious to the agitations of their hosts.

Finally, auspiciously, his head dipped, a single nod of assent, allied with a soft squeeze of your fingers.

Your relief grew exponentially as he stood, a deceptively kind smile on his face as he excused himself, offering some excuse of snapdragons that needed watered, and misplaced gardening tools that needed to be put away- They were fooled easily enough.

Despite the tenderness of the kiss he pressed to your cheek and the lingering brush of his fingers across your shoulders, his anger was still clear to you in the crisp, precise rhythm of his footsteps, the sharp angle of his shoulders. You silently worried for him, further alarmed by the extra care he placed in closing the door behind him.

An ineffable loathing flickered in your veins, a harsh hatred for the individuals still seated at your table.

It was your turn to don the mask, feigning carefree hospitality with an ease that sickened you. You offered apologies on Tonio's behalf for the sudden departure, sliding into false pleasantries and kindness until they were finally ready to retire for the evening.

You took your time in filling the dishwasher, lingering quietly in the kitchen until you were certain they had all sequestered themselves to their respective chambers, the house finally quiet for the night.

Content that you were finally free from social obligation, you slipped outside, concern for your partner once more coursing through you; your only mission was to find the, hopefully, calmr Spaniard and coax him to join you in bed.

You found him on the crest of what, come summertime, would be golden wheat fields.

The damp earth cushioned your every footfall, aiding in your efforts to still offer him some space, still uncertain of his emotional state.

But soon enough his head was turning to face you, a soft, loving smile shining bright in the moonlight; you couldn't repress your own answering smile, finishing the ascent to his side.

He was lounging on the ground, fingers interlocked beneath his head, left ankle casually crossed over the right. You were near enough now to see the fatigue in olive irises, the overcast dimming his normally sunny disposition.

For a moment, you remained like that- he reclined on the ground, tousled tresses shifting in the warm breeze, and you, standing, silhouetted by the silvery moonlight, arms folded in the murky remnants of prior aggravation.

"You missed dessert."

There was a small wince, his focus once more returning to the skies. "Sorry. Didn't mean to."

At another time, in any other circumstance, you would have dismissed his brusque apology as simply that, but you had known him too long; you saw right through him. There was nothing in his tone or expression that convinced you of any sincerity, and it confirmed to you immediately that he was still angry.

Sighing in defeat, his name shaping itself in an exhausted exhalation, you collapsed next to him on the ground, your arms spreading wide and eyes slipping shut. "They're only here for three more days."

You could feel Toni's gaze, could practically taste the scepticism lacing his words. "Are you tryin' to reassure me or you here?"

The doubtful tone made you laugh, a single, painful barking sound that quite nearly ended as a sob, your fists firmly pressing against your closed eyelids. "God, I don't fucking know."

This was the first time in nearly a week where others couldn't eavesdrop on you, and all of your frustrations- a perfect parallel to your lover's- finally fell free, a broken cry of rage carrying on the westward winds.

As your frustrations slipped away on the breeze, the familiar pressure of a finger poking into your side had you opening your eyes, pulse fluttering upon seeing Antonio carefully balanced above you, framed by the endless starfield.

The sight itself, while breathtaking, had not been the source of your surprise, but rather the traces of worry in his gaze, the frantic sweep of his eyes as they studied your own.

Your name passed his lips in a nearly silent, broken sound, eyes narrowing in confusion. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

You considered playing at passivity, but he could sense your hesitation. He shifted once more, his legs now pinning your own, bracing himself on the hands now stationed on either side of your head.

"Churri?" His voice had lowered to scarcely a whisper, a gentle pensiveness that tugged at your heartstrings.

You allowed yourself to meet his gaze, almost drowning in the concern written all across his features.

Releasing a soft sigh, your lips caught somewhere between a loving smile and a fractured grimace. "I'm okay, Tonio. I can handle a couple imbeciles, especially when they work for your Boss."

Your lighthearted tone faded away at the sudden lack of expression, his face a perfect mask of stoicism.

"Toni?"

There was a tension in the sharp inhale, irritation clear as he closed his eyes for a few seconds, his gaze near scorching when he once more studied your features. "Te amo más que a mi vida," he trailed off, hanging his head to scoff. "But sometimes, you really are an idiot."

It took you a moment to process his shifting cues, annoyance finally summoned when you noticed his bemusement. "Excuse me?"

An oh-so-familiar and oh-so-annoying grin flickered to life across his features, a breathtaking revelation of mischief that was gone again in the next second, expression serious once more. "You are the most important person to me. My Boss could go hang for all I care."

"Antonio! You shouldn't-"

"What? Lie?" His eyes narrowed, focused on you intently. "Why would I?"

The uncharacteristic solemnity was making you uneasy, discomfort amplified as he lowered closer to you, hovering only centimeters above you.

You found yourself averting your gaze, trepidation coursing through your veins with every passing breath.

"Churri."

You bit your lip, doing your best to continue avoiding him. But he only lowered himself further, your name tumbling from his lips as a soft whisper, caressing the sensitive skin of your cheeks, the demand that you give him your attention too compelling to ignore.

For a moment, you lost all train of thought, drowning in the intensity of his gaze. He hovered just over you, that firm, certain expression silencing any rebuttal you still had left.

Seeming aware of your vulnerability, he spoke once more, an intimate hum drifting between the two of you. "I could get rid of them right now if you want. Just say the word."

You didn't dare ask for clarification for his words; you knew exactly what he meant.

And for one horrifying moment, you considered it, let yourself imagine the retribution he could bestow.

Just as quickly, you dismissed it, offering a small laugh and pretending you were oblivious to the true meaning of his offer. "And risk having your Boss come by asking what you did to traumatize his staff so badly? No gracias, mi Sol."

He studied you for another moment, trying to detect any hints of a lie. Finally, he shrugged, his familiar dopey grin making a reappearance. "Okay. But the offer still stands!"

You failed to restrain your own smile as Antonio flopped back to the ground beside you, an exhausted groan escaping him after he settled.

"I'm not sure how much more bullshit I can take, mi Alma."

You found his hand with your own, gently drawing your thumb against the muddied skin. You worried at first that it wasn't enough, but a firm squeeze assured you that he appreciated the gesture, as small a comfort as it was.

"Three days..."

His words tugged at your attention, focus sweeping over his profile, noting the, yet again, furrowed brow, the tangible despondence haunting his frame.

Frowning, you tugged his hand to your chest, resting it just over your heart. "We can do this."

Dark eyes were soon meeting your own, fatigued and so doubtful. "You really think that?"

You didn't have the heart to tell him of your own doubts, of just how much you dreaded playing at the deception for a moment longer- your false smiles and fake cheer were starting to wear thin.

You needn't bother anyway; the plaintive look on his face proved just how easily was reading your thoughts.

Instead of succumbing to your own bitterness, you offered another firm squeeze of his hand and a confident smile that almost felt truthful. "I do." You paused for a moment, your sincerity suddenly unencumbered. "I have faith in us."

Your words were enough to ignite that familiar spark in his eyes, a resilient determination in his smile. "Together?"

"Together."

[atonalginger]

Thank you for the tag @silurisanguine ! this looks like fun :)

okay let's see

1) How many works do you have on AO3: 10 works atm

2) What's your total AO3 word count? : 104.077 works

3) What fandoms do you write for? atm It's Starfield and Saint's Row crossover with Joe Ledger. There will be more (ominous music plays) eventually

4) Top five fics by kudos? The Starborn Saga, Rekindling the Heart, Work-Life Balance, (I'm very new on a03 and a large chunk of my fics have been up for less than 24 within slumbering fandoms)

5) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?: Most of them I do. Sometimes I can't think of anything to say because I'm a shy overthinker but I try to respond because its so exciting to hear from readers and have conversations about the work.

6) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? None of my fics currently end angsty (only one of them has ended) but chapter wise it would be either chapter 44 or chapter 58 in Starborn Saga. Those are left on heavy angsty notes.

7) What’s the fic you write with the happiest ending? The Starborn Saga :)

8) Do you get hate on fics? I have not.

9) Do you write smut? Yes I dabble with spicy things. Starborn Saga is a Romance Novel. I'm rusty, as I had avoided writing smut for a while, but I'm back. My smut usually goes with the plot but could be skipped if someone wasn't into that sort of thing. I've also just written smut for the sake of smut but never posted it. (who knows maybe I'll dig that stuff up one day if I'm bored)

10) Do you write crossovers? Yes! My Saint's Row series 'A Tale of Two Bosses' is a crossover fic with the Joe Ledger book series. The Santo Ileso boss is Joe Ledger, if he went into crime instead of the force.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of...

12) Have you ever had a fic translated? Not, not that I'm aware of

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have brainstormed but never co-written anything. Much like SiluriSanguine I am too much a control freak to be able to pull that off.

14) What’s your all-time favourite ship? Just of all time, regardless of whether I've published it or not? Shakarian (Shepard x Garrus Vakarian). Sam Coe x starfarer is up there too.

15) What’s the WIP you hope to finish but doubt you ever will? O_O so many...so many you have no idea the extent of my compost bin that is old WIPs lol. I'm trying to break that habit though.

16) What are your writing strengths? This is hard to answer. I think I'm good at building a character and developing their stories and Dialogue. I'm also starting to accept that I can in fact write an interesting action sequence but I don't know if I'd call it a strength just yet.

17) What are your writing weaknesses? Grammar and burning out.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I tend to avoid it because I'm worried I'll mess it up and I don't want to offend. If I'm going to use another language google and native speakers are referenced.

19) First fandom you wrote for? O_O oh gods that I wrote down? I was daydreaming stories for so many things but my first written story was in Saints Row. I'd just never thought to write them out and let them play in my head like daydreams and one day it hit me: write this down. Those stories are lost on a forgotten harddrive now but hey, I'm still playing in one of those sandboxes.

20) Favourite fic you’ve ever written? I'm kind of partial to The Starborn Saga. It's my first fully completed work and I'm really proud of what I did there. That feels like cheating to say but that story is what got me to put myself out there and be proud of my work so yeah. Thanks Starfield/Sam and everyone who liked it and made me feel all warm and fuzzy

20 questions for fic writers

thankyou @poetic-poltergeist for the tag!! <3 (starting a new thread as the other was getting looooong.)

okay let's see

1) How many works do you have on AO3

23 currently!

2) What's your total AO3 word count?

245,631 and counting...... (as i new chapter of a fic should be going up any day now)

3) What fandoms do you write for?

Starfield, Deus Ex, Vampyr, Dishonored, Thief and one for Destiny2 at the moment.

4) Top five fics by kudos?

Savages, Paradigm Shift, To See Beyond Forever, Starry Starry Night and Take me Away from All this Death. (would love to see some of my Starfield fics get in here by next year! ).

5) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always do, comments fuel me! Seriously the serotonin boost from getting a comment is often exactly what i need to keep writing.

6) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Shattered Reflections i'd say. (but chapter wise, it's my new one Chasing Your Star..._

7) What’s the fic you write with the happiest ending?

That will be.... [redacted].

8) Do you get hate on fics?

First fic i published on Ao3 got a unsolicited crit. One point was valid but the other i thought was unwarranted...and in fact incorrect anyway. But other than that, i've had nothing but positive comments.

9) Do you write smut?

haha.....oh ...OH YES. But always with plot and in context of story.

10) Do you write crossovers?

Yes i have one crossover right now - Emerging Shadow (Dishonored/Thief), but i plan another -( deux ex/ Assassin's Creed).

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Probably by AI.....

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, i dont believe so.

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, i'm too much of a control freak for story telling, though i do work with others to work out plot points sometimes.

14) What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Named ships? Emsider and McReid.

15) What’s the WIP you hope to finish but doubt you ever will?

Im not jinxing anything. I WILL finish all my fics. It just might take a while...But i doubt i will write any more for the Destiny fandom.

16) What are your writing strengths?

Story telling and scene setting I'd like to think.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

Expanded grammar and finishing stories.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I try to find someone who speaks the language natively to help me with any foreign dialogue i might add.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

Xena, Warrior Princess. Back in my Live Journal days.

20) Favourite fic you’ve ever written? I have to admit i have a soft spot for Obsidian Dreams and Take me Away from All this Death. But i am absolutely loving writing Chasing Your Star Until I Find Home. I tag - @lakritzwolf @eridanidreams @bearlytolerant @atonalginger @fangbangerghoul @booburry @toxiclizardwrites @aro-pancake @aislingdmdt @onewhoturns @lisa-and-shadow @thatsgoodsquishy0 @despicablediet @themortalscout

[davidmann95]

All-Star Superman #2

A scant year to the day since part 1!

All evidence to the contrary I actually have always wanted to go back to this, especially since I keep getting asked if I’ll do so and it stirs my omnipresent sense of guilt over my lack of productivity, and also the last year has not resulted in a mass turnaround of people realizing it’s a for-real good book and not just comfort food so this remains necessary. This isn’t going to be quite as in-depth as the first go-around - both that as the introductory issue and that as the introductory recap had a lot of groundwork to lay - but still plenty to cover, as this issue sets up Lois and Superman’s arcs for the series, which is rooted (amazingly, especially right off the bat, given the book’s reputation of being about how amazing Superman is) in how badly Superman’s let his fears and shortsightedness poison the most important relationship in his life.

If the first issue is the big classic Superman material - Superman saving the day from the monster! Lois and Clark and the rest of the Daily Planet crew! Lex Luthor’s sinister schemes! A ticking clock to doom! - this scales all the way down to the uncomfortably, stiflingly intimate. Classic archetypal Superman stuff gives way to the most Silver Age issue: casual huge ideas, relationship drama, misunderstandings, last-minute reveals that recontextualize the entire issue, and baaaarely latent psychodrama bubbling up at the edges. In service of that the visual framing here is not unlike a stage play, a limited set of physically connected locales as a pair of figures bounce off one another. Quitely and Grant’s work is therefore comparatively subdued next to issue #1, keeping to traditional panel layouts and wide or medium shots with a background color palate of mostly blacks and whites and grays with a handful of other colors popping out...until Lois starts to lose her shit at the end of the issue and we get close-ups and full black and white panels and eerie glowing and dutch angles and that unsettling abstract image of her clenched teeth, as the story starts to squeeze us like Lois’s gut.

She’s right to be unsettled for that matter; she’s alone on Superman’s turf (the one issue where that’s the case other than #6, and that one’s about how Smallville stopped being his home), the weird antiseptic alien lair of the ultimate super-hobbyist, and all the baggage of their relationship is spilling out into the open as she has less and less reason to think the best of this odd man who’s been lying to her for years. Unlike the Silver Age tales this is referencing, she’s absolutely on the money with her complaints about him: he’s been dicking around with her forever and thinks it can all be okay now (His little “What?” on the second page when she bursts his bubble says it all), and he’s awkwardly overcompensating trying to fix it.

While the Fortress tour serves to peacefully acclimate us to how utterly bizarre Superman’s world really gets past the traditional rescues (the little cubic starfield we don’t know the meaning of yet, trophies are floating rather than physically suspended, the glowing flowers in Lois’s room, “The Phantom Zone map room’s pretty dull unless you can see radio-negative anti-waves”), Superman himself is...humblebragging isn’t the right way of putting it, but it feels like he’s working way, way harder than he ever will again in this book to be cool and impressive and assuring. He’s a dope in love, but he can tell something’s up and that super-brain of his isn’t putting the obvious pieces together, or noticing that this is just putting her off further and further until, like Bluebeard’s wife before her, she stumbles through the threshold of the door she was never meant to, even of course in the end he’s still Superman and there’s a perfectly good reason. Not a good enough reason, however, for her accusations at dinner to not hit home - his mind may be expanding, but he’s still way up his own ass here in a genuinely unpleasant way that’ll be elaborated on momentarily. For now he’s left stammering that she should trust him and it’s limp and phony, especially compared to his big entreaty for someone to trust him in #10 (which’ll be right after he finally comes clean with her); while Superman may not be considered a savior figure by his friends in here the way he often is in the mainline comics Lois seems to be the only one who doesn’t look up to him at least a little bit, but that clarity means she’ll call him out where no one else will.

Across the next two pages it’s all laid out, and we get to the roots of where things have gone wrong between the two of them. Lois is paranoid, certainly, the panels are literally squeezing in on her, but with Superman seeming so out-there and alien like never before she would have every right to be even sans alien chemicals. But notably there remains throughout a part of her assuming the best of him wondering if maybe this is just another big misunderstanding or that he’s simply been mutated by the solar overexposure. And in her heart of hearts, she admits that maybe she wants this to be another big damn trick with a completely sensible justification, because the alternative is that this is the new normal and she has to accept that he’s a flawed mortal man. It’s ugly and it’s mean - especially since she likes Clark - and it’s human as hell in the worst, most understandable way. It’s not going to be until said mortality is staring her in the face that she’ll be able to accept it.

Superman, meanwhile...someone could write a thesis on these panels as an articulation of the Superman/Clark dynamic. The Mirror of Truth is actually preexisting, centerpiece of a Jerry Siegel/Curt Swan joint in Action Comics #269 that was later adapted into the Superman newspaper strip where Lois uses it to figure out Superman is Clark Kent until he tricks her into believing the mirror can lie, after which he tosses it in a volcano; here it’s survived, and curiously shows him as Superman rather than Clark, when in the original tale it displayed Kent even though that was fully the era of Clark as a disguise. In here too it’s Superman who’s the ‘true’ identity of the two and which this time is reflected in the mirror, yet as in #1 it’s Clark who says what he’s truly feeling. In that light, the final panel of the abandoned glasses reads like nothing so much as Superman using the mirror as affirmation that the truth of the solemn, steadfast Superman identity gives him licence to deny the uncomfortable emotions his squishy human farmboy side is dredging up, ‘lying’ to him in a way he had to fake in the source material. Those emotions however knock right on the door of what he can’t grasp here: Clark’s so wrapped up in his own head trying to do the ‘right’ thing that he’s overlooking how his attempts at self-sacrificing selflessness are hurting the people around him. Throughout the series he’ll come to rely on others, first at his lowest points with Jimmy and the Bizarros, until at last he comes to invest true trust in Lois, and the Kandorians, and Leo Quintum, and even Lex.

For now though Lois is deep in a hole, a brief but memorable meeting with the Unknown Superman of 4500AD - everything Superman seems to be becoming to her even before she wonders if it’s literally him, cryptic and masked and with a big ‘ol question mark right on his chest instead of the familiar comforting logo, even his gutbuster of a question reinforcing his distance from a recognizable human experience - leading her all the way to reimagining her Silver Age ideal happy ending of marriage and family with Superman as a Cronenbergian horror. It’s still a Superman story, it turns out he had the very best reason possible for wanting to keep her in the dark, but right through to the end he remains just a little condescending in his reassurance, and his gift of essentially bringing her up to his ‘level’ isn’t going to solve the problem. While the next issue lets us see the two of them properly in love, it won’t be until the elephant in the room comes out that they can come to terms.

Additional notes

* God Quitely is so good. Look at the way the seatbelt curves in the first panel! Lois’s bemused little disbelieving smirk!

* Pages 2-3: Aurora Borealis?!

* Lois is the only character other than Superman who gets to have actual narration (in both cases as looks at their in-text writing), the only one whose viewpoint is thus privileged in the same way as his.

* The key is the realization of this series’ aesthetic in a nutshell: the old-school idea in a sleek, shiny, clever new way that doesn’t take away from the fantastical toyeticness of it all. For that matter, the key is the centerpiece of a later bit with Superman that could be fairly described as the long-term goal of the book book as Morrison’s hoped-for perennial: “One day some future man or woman will open that door, with that key. When they do, I want them to know how it felt to live at the dawn of the age of superheroes.”

* This is A. The first note of a larger DC universe existing offscreen, something that I’ll go into more when discussing #8, B. A brilliant, concise, fun little summation of his place in Superman’s world, and C. Absolutely hilarious given Morrison suggested in his exit interview that this could be seen as much later on in the same universe as All-Star Batman & Robin The Boy Wonder, which entirely rewrites the tone of that moment.

* Already discussed the key but the muscles in Superman’s hand tensing a bit at picking it up is another great detail.

* The glimpse of the Fortress here is excellent: the statues of his friends and enemies instead of pictures because he does things bigger with the yellow electric something crackling at the end of it, the off-model but curious-looking robot appearing to glance at Kandor (are it and the bigger robot with the seats on top of it trophies, or Superman Robots with different designs tasked for specific purposes?), the classic Bad Penny Good For One Crime, the Legion time bubble that establishes his time-traveling credentials for later, the Titanic where he and Lois will dine when their relationship hits a proverbial iceberg, and most strikingly the space shuttle Columbia, his apparent rescue of which I have to imagine is a reference to Astro City’s Superman analogue Samaritan debuting by averting the Challenger disaster.

* It’s next issue that has my actual favorite Superman/Lois moment of all time, but “When we’re married fifteen years, when I’m sagging and he looks just the same, will he still meet me and say things like...” “These are for you. I picked them on Alpha Centauri 4.” is right up there.

* The technological aesthetic of the Fortress is so different than P.R.O.J.E.C.T., sleek and solid and cleanly-lit and antiseptic, beautiful and advanced but a little cold in its own way. As stuffed with wonder as this place may be, there’s something hauntingly empty about it, suiting both the tone of the issue and as a physical embodiment of Superman’s emotional state. The one part that goes against it is the forbidden room, it even has beakers and test tubes to sell the mad scientist vibe...though if you were to stretch it, it much more close resembles the human technology seen at P.R.O.J.E.C.T., and this is meant as a gift for one.

* The cosmic anvil made it along with the key into the CWverse, Lois used it in Elseworlds! I may not be expecting All-Star quality from the upcoming Superman and Lois, but it’s good to know the powers that be are using it as a reference point (beyond how it inspired Supergirl’s take on Cat Grant, a connection I discussed in a post that seems to have vanished into thin air). The whole page is perfect, Superman at his most joyfully benign and beautiful and godlike; it’s the one bit where Lois’s skepticism cracks a touch watching him feed his adorable little Lovecraftian abomination from beyond the stars.

* While he never appears physically aside from a statue Brainiac hovers over this series from beginning to end in name and deed, the ominous ultimate enemy of Superman’s past, the great trial overcome even as the scars forever remain. Morrison mentioned in the exit interview that he didn’t appear in here because he and Quitely already used him as the villain of JLA: Earth 2, but that if he had it would have borrowed Superman: The Animated Series’ take on him as a Kryptonian AI gone rogue. Personally I like his place in here as-is, a little totem parallel to the Justice League references indicating the breadth of Superman’s history between putting on the cape and Luthor’s final scheme.

* A pair of minor notes: Lois points at Superman with the pointy fork when asking him pointed questions, and while it’s not immediately clear on first read she does in fact ask the Unknown Superman exactly 3 questions (“Kal Kent?” “Will Superman and I ever marry and have children?” “What do you mean?”) before he replies with his own, as promised.

* “Oww.” and “Tickles.” literally could not be more perfect Superman moments.

* Worth taking a moment to marvel at just how many future plot elements are seeded here. There’s the obvious bit of Superman thinking about having a partner setting up the next issue, but we also for issue #6 have our first look at Kal Kent and Lois wondering “What if (the Unknown Superman) was really (Superman)?” when Clark will indeed pose as him, for #10 we get our first look at Qwewq, and for #11 not only is the Sun-Eater introduced but so is Robot 7′s malfunction as a result of Luthor’s tampering.

* The structure of the series according to Morrison is a solar cycle, beginning and ending at midday with nightfall in the center. If last issue was the sun at its brightest we begin the descent here, with Superman remaining larger-than-life and ultimately trustworthy but with his classic persona and habits held to an additional, unflattering degree of scrutiny.

[caitsbooks]

Caitsbooks’s Top 10 Most Anticipated April 2019 Releases

This year is absolutely flying by. I can't believe it's April already! This month has some of my most anticipated releases of the year, with a good mix of debut novels, series starters, and continuations! My wallet may hate me this month, but I'll be very happy once all these books come out.

Blog || Goodreads || Bookstagram || Twitter  || Reviews

April Releases

Note: These are in order of release date

April 2nd 

10. Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan This book is probably my most anticipated debut novel, if not one of my most anticipated books overall for 2019. Wicked Saints has gotten a lot of hype, and after reading the ARC, I can say it deserves all of it. This book broke me, in the best possible way, and I don't think I'll ever be over it. Read my review here for more of my ranting.

"A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself. A prince in danger must decide who to trust. A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war. In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light."

9. Defy Me (Shatter Me #5) by Tahereh Mafi The Shatter Me series has been one of my favorites since I first read it as a trilogy back in 2015. While I was nervous at first about the series being continued, I am now 100% on board and so excited for the next installment! The Kenji novella, Shadow Me, really got my hyped for this book!

(Spoilers below for the Shatter Me series, books 1 - 4) "Juliette’s short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of the other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he’s been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her—secrets that change everything. Juliette is devastated, and the darkness that’s always dwelled within her threatens to consume her. An explosive encounter with unexpected visitors might be enough to push her over the edge."

8. Defy the Fates (Constellation #3) by Claudia Gray

I cannot express how excited I am for this book. I loved the first two novels, and I've been dying to find out how it all ends! If you're looking for a new sci-fi series, definitely pick this one up!!

(spoilers below for Defy the Stars and Defy the Worlds)

“Hunted and desperate. Abel only has one mission left that matters: save the life of Noemi Vidal. To do that, he not only has to escape the Genesis authorities, he also must face the one person in the galaxy who still has the means to destroy him. Burton Mansfield's consciousness lives on, desperate for a home, and Abel's own body is his last bargaining chip.  Alone in the universe. Brought back from the brink of death, Noemi Vidal finds Abel has not only saved her life, but he's made her into something else, something more. Not quite mech, yet not quite human any longer, Noemi must find her place in a universe where she is utterly unique, all while trying to create a world where anyone--even a mech--can be free. The final battle between Earth and the colony planets is here, and there's no lengths to which Earth won't go to preserve its domination over all humanity. But together, the universe's most advanced mech and its first human-mech hybrid might have the power to change the galaxy for good.”

7. The Princess and the Fangirl (Once Upon a Con #2) by Ashley Poston

This is the new companion novel to Geekerella. The first book was absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to see where Ashley Poston goes with this one!

"Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year's ExcelsiCon isn't her last, she'll consider her career derailed. When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That's easier said than done when the girls step into each other's shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these "princesses" race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after. "

6. The Devouring Gray (The Devouring Gray #1) by Christine Lynn Herman

This book is one of my most anticipated debut novels of the year. People have been comparing it to The Raven Cycle, one of my all-time favorite series, so obviously I need to devour it. (Yes, I know that was a bad pun)

"On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening… Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbors treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid. When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?"

5. You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn

I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this back in January, and it blew me away. It was so much more than I expected. This is definitely not a book to miss!

"Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things. But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen. Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk. "

April 9th 

4. Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

This book has been called a YA Game of Thrones, filled with political intrigue and mystery. This is another book that has gotten a bit of hype, and I'm looking forward to seeing if it lives up to it.

"Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, dreaming of an unremarkable life. But when her beloved father is found dead, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom. What’s more, Hesina believes that her father was murdered—and that the killer is someone close to her. Hesina’s court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king’s death for political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago. Using the information provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?"

3. The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses #1) by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

I think everyone can agree that Magnus and Alec are some of the best characters in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Needless to say, I'm so excited that they're getting their own series!!! I've been waiting for this for too long.

"All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation—a lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who against all odds is finally his boyfriend. But as soon as the pair settles in Paris, an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke. Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec will have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping."

April 16th 

2. Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Last year, I finally started reading Jenn Bennett's books, and fell in love with them. I went on a binge of all of her YA contemporaries, and I'm dying for more. At this point, it doesn't even matter to me what it's actually about. If it's written by Jenn Bennett, I'll read it.

"Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel. In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel. To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel."

April 23rd 

1. The Tiger at Midnight (The Tiger at Midnight Trilogy #1) by Swati Teerdhala

I am living for all the new fantasy novels coming out, and especially #ownvoices ones! This synopsis has me so intrigued and I can't wait to dive in.

"Esha is a legend, but no one knows. It’s only in the shadows that she moonlights as the Viper, the rebels’ highly skilled assassin. She’s devoted her life to avenging what she lost in the royal coup, and now she’s been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha. Kunal has been a soldier since childhood, training morning and night to uphold the power of King Vardaan. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has been growing only more volatile. Then Esha’s and Kunal’s paths cross—and an unimaginable chain of events unfolds. Both the Viper and the soldier think they’re calling the shots, but they’re not the only players moving the pieces. As the bonds that hold their land in order break down and the sins of the past meet the promise of a new future, both rebel and soldier must make unforgivable choices."

What is your most anticipated release this April?

Related: - My March Favorites + April TBR - My Top 10 March Releases + TBR